Key-hole removal of the gallbladder (laparoscopic cholecystectomy) is currently the preferred treatment for people with symptoms related to gallstones in the gallbladder. This is generally performed by distending the tummy (abdomen) using carbon dioxide gas (pneumoperitoneum) so that there is adequate space for instruments and to visualise the structures within the abdomen. This enables the surgeons to identify and divide the appropriate structures. However, distending the abdominal wall can result in various physiological changes that affect the functioning of the heart or lungs. These changes are more pronounced at higher pressures of the gas used to distend the abdomen. They are generally tolerated well in people with a low risk of anaesthetic problems. However, those with pre-existing illnesses may not tolerate this distension of the abdomen well. So, an alternate method of enabling the surgeons to visualise the structures in the abdomen and to use instruments by lifting up the abdominal wall using special devices (abdominal wall lift) has been suggested for people undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We reviewed all the relevant information from randomised trials (a type of study which provides the best information on whether one treatment is better than the other, if conducted properly) in the literature to find out if abdominal wall lift is better than distending the abdomen using carbon dioxide gas. We adopted methods to identify all the possible studies and used methods that decrease the errors in data collection.

Abdominal wall lift with pneumoperitoneum versus pneumoperitoneum
A total of 130 participants (all with low anaesthetic risk) were included in five trials which compared abdominal wall lift combined with very low pressure pneumoperitoneum and standard pneumoperitoneum. All five trials had a high risk of bias (introducing the possibility of overestimating benefits or underestimating the harms of abdominal wall lift). No-one died as a result of surgery. There was no significant difference in the rate of serious complications related to the surgery. None of the trials reported quality of life, the proportion of people discharged as laparoscopic cholecystectomy day-patients, or pain between four and eight hours after the operation. None required conversion of key-hole surgery to an open operation using a larger incision. There was no significant difference in the operating time between the two groups.

Abdominal wall lift versus pneumoperitoneum
A total of 774 participants (the majority with low anaesthetic risk) who underwent planned laparoscopic cholecystectomy were included in 18 trials which compared abdominal wall lift and standard pneumoperitoneum. All the trials had a high risk of bias. No-one died as a result of the surgery. There was no significant difference in the rate of serious complications related to surgery. None of the trials reported quality of life or pain between four and eight hours after the operation. There was no significant difference in the rate of serious adverse events, the proportion of people who underwent an open operation using a larger incision, or the proportion discharged on the same day of surgery. The operating time was about seven minutes longer on average if the operation was performed using abdominal wall lift rather than pneumoperitoneum.

In summary, abdominal wall lift does not seem to offer an advantage over pneumoperitoneum in any of the patient-oriented outcomes for laparoscopic cholecystectomy in people with low anaesthetic risk. Abdominal wall lift may increase costs by increasing the operating time. Hence it cannot be recommended routinely. The safety of abdominal wall lift is yet to be established. More randomised clinical trials on the topic are needed since the possibility of arriving at erroneous conclusions due to bias and due to the play of chance was high because of the design of the trials. Future trials should include people at high risk during anaesthesia. Furthermore, such trials should employ blinded assessments of outcome measures.